Epilepsy Ireland News

14 -11-2011 |Death of Dr. John Kirker, Brainwave President

It is with deep regret that we announce the death of our esteemed President and long serving board member, Dr John Kirker. The Board of Directors, Finance & Audit Committee, staff and members extend their sincere condolences to his wife Elizabeth, son Stephen, daughter in-law Fiona and grandchildren Tom, Ed and Alice.

Dr Kirker was born in Norfolk, England and studied medicine at Trinity College Dublin. With a travelling scholarship he worked with William Gordon Lennox at Boston Children's Hospital in 1948-1949 with shorter periods with Dr Gibbs in Chicago and with Dr Penfield and Dr Jasper in Montreal.

Dr. Kirker has been a consultant physician at Sir Patrick Dun's Hospital (general) and St. Patrick's Hospital Dublin (psychiatric) and lectured in pharmacology at Trinity College Dublin.

He was made a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (FRCPI) in 1956 and was its Director of Examinations from 1983 to 1985. During his illustrious career he was Chairman of the Medical Education Committee, Medical Council of Ireland and was directly responsible for the development of electroencephalographic services in Ireland.

He became Director of the Electroencephalographic Department of the National Neurosurgery Centre at Beaumont Hospital, Dublin.

Dr. Kirker was the recipient of the very prestigious Social Accomplishment Award in Epilepsy in 2007 awarded by the International League against Epilepsy and the International Bureau for Epilepsy and had earlier been made an Ambassador for Epilepsy by the two International bodies.

At international level his work to improve the quality of life of people with epilepsy included:

*Representative on the Advisory Committee on Medical Training of the European Union in epileptology